Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Landlord, Burying in Yard
DALLAS (AP) — A Dallas man accused of killing his landlord, entombing him in a concrete slab in the backyard and then posing as the victim to sell the house has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Court records show 46-year-old Christopher Colbert pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder in the death of 57-year-old Ronald Shumway. He also pleaded guilty to theft, tampering with a government record, securing execution of a document by deception and money laundering.
Theft and murder carried sentences of 25 years in prison, while the others carried 20-year sentences. A Dallas County district attorney's office spokeswoman says the sentences will run concurrently.
Officials said Colbert strangled Shumway in April 2015. A new homeowner found the body in September 2015.